


Shelter

by unwindmyself



Series: curious shapes shift in the dark [94]
Category: True Blood
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christian Culture, Female Friendship, Fix-It, Gen, agency and choices!, girls protecting girls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 03:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4419554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicole and Vanessa begin their infiltration of Eden Hamby's youth group.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> Part two, "Ticker Don't Tock."
> 
>  **Original Characters** : Nevaeh Walker, Grace St. Croix, Vanessa Quinones.

“Hey, Eden!”   
“Hey, Nevaeh, hey, Grace,” Eden says cheerfully, coming to sit by her friends.  She hasn’t actually left the house in three days, for a whole variety of reasons, so even though it’s just for Bible study she’s glad of it.

“Hey, ‘re you okay?” Nevaeh asks, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder.  ‘You’re kinda…”  She trails off, making a face apologetically.  What she means is, not looking her best.

Eden frowns.  “Yeah,” she says.  “I just tripped comin’ up the steps, that’s all.’

Nevaeh and Grace look at each other suspiciously.  “You sure?” Grace asks softly.  “Your arm’s all…”

Bruised in a way that doesn’t look like it’s from falling on stairs.

I’m sure,” Eden insists, withdrawing into herself defensively.  It’s not the first time the others have asked, but that’s the only answer she gives.  She’s heard the way Nevaeh’s mom yells at her sometimes, she knows Grace’s parents spank their kids, it’s not that big a deal.

(Wherever Jessica is, if she even still is, she got off  so  much easier.)

Before the conversation can go any farther, Angela from the front office enters with a pair of probably college girls, one of them a tan blonde and the other this gorgeous black girl who looks super out of place in this really white church.  “Girls, this is Nikki and Nessa,” Angela introduces.  “They’re gonna be leading Bible study for a few weeks so they can get some credit for their degrees.”

“Hi, Nikki, hi, Nessa,” the class choruses.

 

* * *

 

Class is mostly spent catching Nikki and Nessa up on what they’ve been going over in the last little while, and Eden kind of can’t help but wonder what Nikki and Nessa’s home church is like because they’re definitely more radical than their normal teacher (but she’s like, four steps away from being one of the Duggars off TV), but it’s cool.  They’re cool.

Grace and Nevaeh are out the door pretty quick after class, getting texts that their rides are here, and one by one the other girls leave too, until finally it’s just Eden and Nikki and Nessa left.

“Your folks on their way?” Nikki asks.

Eden looks at her watch.  Five minutes past.  “Probably,” she says with a shrug.

“Have they called or texted?” Nessa asks.

“They, uh, don’t let me have a phone,” Eden mumbles, not for the first time embarrassed about this.  “It’s okay.  They’ll be here soon.”

“Mind if we wait with you?” Nessa asks.

“Sorry we ask so many questions,” Nikki cracks.

“It’s okay,” Eden repeats.  “Mary Beth usually hangs out till my folks come, too.”

“Okay,” says Nessa.  “Let’s go sit out front, yeah?”

Eden nods.  “Thanks,” she says, and they head out front.  “So, where’re you guys from?” she asks once they’re settled.  New people are a novelty for her, she doesn’t meet too many

“Well, I’m from Chicago,” Nikki says.  “My mom grew up in Baton Rouge, though.”  (A little bit of truth, a little bit of falsehood.)

“And I was actually born in Spain,” Nessa says.  “But I’ve lived in the states since I was a kid.”  (The truth, but cagily given.)

“That’s so cool!” Eden exclaims.  “What’s it like livin’ in another country?”

Nessa shrugs, smiling.  “When you’re used to it, it’s just normal,” she says.  “It’s a different language, you have a different routine, there are different details, but it feels normal.”

“Still,” Eden says.  “I’ve never even left the state, that’s so cool.”  Never even been as far as New Orleans, actually, but she’s not looking to gain pity, so she doesn’t bring that up.

Even still, Nikki and Nessa exchange glances and they look like pity.  Crud.

“I mean, it’s okay,” Eden exclaims.  “I like it here.”  Somewhat of a lie.  “And I read!”  Sometimes.

“Like what?” Nikki asks.

“Well, it’s hard,” Eden says before she can stop herself.  “I wasn’t allowed to read  Harry Potter  ‘cause it was about witchcraft and the Bible forbids us from glorifying witchcraft, but the Narnia books were fine?  Because Jesus lion?”  She shrugs.  “And I don’t read Stephen King and stuff like that, that’s too intense, but someone gave me a Frank Peretti book once and that was okay?  Horror isn’t cool, ‘cause that invites bad things into your home, but if there’s a moral message it’s fine.  You guys know how it is.”

(They don’t, actually, but they pretend.)

“Well,” Nessa shrugs.  “That’s something, at least?”

 

* * *

 

“Shit,” Nicole says once she and Vanessa are driving home.

“Poor kid,” Vanessa agrees.  “I mean, she’s up and at least mostly okay, physically, at least.”

“I take it you noticed her bruises,” Nicole sighs.

“Yep,” Vanessa says.  “She’s good at playing them off, but I counted at least four.”

“And that’s only what we could see,” Nicole adds grimly.  “Her dad must be a sick fuck of a guy.”

“The sickest,” Vanessa declares.

 

* * *

 

“Who’s on the phone?” Eric asks.

“Nicole,” Jessica explains.  “She and Vanessa did their first youth group tonight.”

Nora nods.  “So that’s the approach you’ve decided to take?” she asks in clarification.

“Yeah,” Jessica says.  “Not like they could be student regular teachers since asshat Mr. Hamby is in charge of her allegedly regular education.”

Eric grimaces.  “I understand why your initial impulse upon turning was to murder the bastard,” he says.  “Controlling fuck, I take it?”

“That pretty much sums it up,” Jessica sighs, setting her phone down and sitting on the bed.  “I don’t think I’d be the right place for her right now, but bio-dad’s place isn’t either.”

Nora comes to sit behind Jessica, brushing hair over her shoulder and leaning to nuzzle into the crook of her neck.  “You’ve got a good spirit,” she declares.  “Good intentions, too.”

Jessica smiles and turns to kiss Nora’s cheek. “I’m pretty sure you’re biased as far as I’m concerned, but thank you,” she says.


End file.
